


Haven

by BeautyAndStrength



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Always a Different Sex, Alternate Universe - Beauty and the Beast Fusion, Always Female Stiles Stilinski, Beast!Derek, Bisexual Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Bisexual Stiles Stilinski, Casual Non-Sexual Nudity, Curses, F/F, F/M, Gay Isaac Lahey, Ghosts, Girl!Stiles, M/M, Only Druids Exist in This Story, Primarily Season 3A Inspired, Queer Lydia Martin, Rule 63, Slow Burn, Some Bad Guys are Good, Stilinski and Hale Family Feels, Tags May Change, Wolves, altered timeline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-23 22:55:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19160680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeautyAndStrength/pseuds/BeautyAndStrength
Summary: "Oh, trust me. Had I known ahead of time that during the last year I would get flung head first into an insane wacko world of haunted, hidden castles, evil druid ladies, freakishly large wolves, and cursed man-beasts, I would have spent some serious time visiting a therapist to get myself mentally armored up for it. Now that I think about it, though, it probably wouldn't have helped that much. Screw me, right?"





	Haven

**Author's Note:**

> I know I'm not the only person to write a Beauty and the Beast story for Sterek, even with Girl!Stiles. So I'm in no way trying to claim this as an original idea. However, I should say that this story won't be a typical run-of-the-mill Beauty and the Beast story; there will be a few surprises here and there. Anyway, the reason why I chose Girl!Stiles instead of Guy!Stiles for this story is because I love the concept of Girl!Stiles, but I'm really disappointed that there are so few fics where she is actually in character. It's like once Stiles becomes a girl she becomes a completely different person altogether. It's really annoying. 
> 
> So I wanted to try my hand at writing Girl!Stiles the right way; with her personality and overall character still intact. And since it is going to be tough enough trying to keep Stiles in character as the opposite gender, I decided that I didn't want to deal with the same issue with everyone else, which is why Stiles is the only one who is genderbent. Also, my Muse gave me this idea for this BatB story, so I thought I'd just use it to write my Girl!Stiles story.
> 
>  
> 
> Genderbent Cast:  
> Nadzieja "Stiles" Stilinski - Hailee Steinfeld

 

 

 

__

 

 

 

 

>   _If you are afraid of wolves, don't go into the forest._
> 
> ― Russian Proverb
> 
>  
> 
>   
> _Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make.  
> _ ― Bram Stoker, "Dracula"

 

~*~

May 27th, 1993  


_He was the first; the first to get lost._

* * *

_He ran._   
  
_Sticks, leaves, underbrush; it all cracked and snapped violently under his sneakers at a pace that was just shy of matching the loud, furious pound of his heart within his chest. Considering how frightened he was, it was safe to say that he was running pretty fast. In fact, he had been running so hard for so long, he could no longer tell the difference between the sound of his feet hitting the ground and the deafening pounding of his own heart in his ears, which had started to sound like a tribal drum beating faster and faster, heralding the impending doom he could feel getting closer. It was beating so fast it felt like it was going to collapse in on itself, or explode and kill him. _   
  
_Perhaps that would be a welcomed escape from the terror he now felt._   
  
_Close behind, he could hear them chasing him. Their footfalls seemed to echo from far back, and on every side of him. He wasn't even sure how many of them there actually were. It could have been a hundred, or just a few. It didn't matter to him. All that mattered was that they were after him and he needed to run as far from them as he could._   
  
_A howl suddenly erupted from somewhere behind him, and it was a lot closer than he wanted to hear. That howl was soon merged with multiple howls in all directions; the sound of his pursuers crying out like hounds on a fox hunt._   
  
_And he was the fox!_   
  
_That terrifying choir in his ears jump-started his heart into a panicked frenzy, injecting a fresh new dose of adrenaline into his veins which caused his pace to increase ten times more. He didn't even know that was possible._   
  
_He swerved to avoid running into a tree that suddenly appeared out of the hazy fog that enveloped the part of the woods he was now lost in. It was so thick, he couldn't see where it ended, or if it even did. He could just barely see the trees rising up through the white haze, like huge, dark fingers grabbing blindly through milky liquid. He couldn't even tell whether it was night or day.  Any type of natural light was completely muted by the denseness of the fog. He couldn't see a single ray of sunlight, moonlight or any sign of stars through the white. The only kind of light that was there was an eerie, unearthly glow that seemed to be coming from the fog itself. Did the sun even exist? Was there a moon, or stars at all here? Such a lonely and frightening thought, to not see the sun again. He hoped, rather half numbed to the possible truth, that that wasn't about to be his fate._   
  
_The air itself had a clawing chill to it with the heavy smell of decaying leaves and droplets of trapped precipitation. He inhaled that scent in sheets with each sharp breath he took and he could see it in front of his face each time he exhaled. It was the same type of atmosphere that occurred when the tail-end of Fall collapses into the first snows of Winter._   
  
_How the hell was it this cold? It was almost June._   
  
_The fog wasn't even there a while back, before the chase started. Neither was the chill.  It had been humid and clear when he began his walk through the woods less than an hour before. He just wanted to escape. Seriously, school was going to end in a few more weeks. Couldn't those bullies just leave him alone until then? So to escape them, he took a shortcut through the sweltering heat of the enclosed forest that stood near the school. The smell of pine and oak trees and the sound of birds and the rustling of the light breeze through the leaves was more than enough to quiet his chaotic mind, even though the heat was causing every pore on his body to scream. But that's how it was that day; hot and HD clear without a trace of clouds, and most definitely, fog. _   
  
_That was, until he stepped through that wall of water._   
  
_He should have seen it. He did, in fact. He saw it for a brief second; a glimmer of light right in front of him, which he just cracked down to be a trick of the eye. He barely had time to process it as anything other than that before he was suddenly submerged in it! The suddenness of it took him off guard, knocking the wind out of him like a poorly executed belly-flop. It only lasted for a moment. When it was over and he caught his breath, he noticed that the temperature had drastically dropped. In a split second, it went from dry and hot, to near frigid, and he shivered, suddenly wishing that he was wearing something else other than a blue and green striped t-shirt, grey shorts, and his blue Nike  sneakers. He looked around and found himself in a part of the woods he had never seen before, or even knew existed._   
  
_Of course, he had been confused, like any sane kid would have been. Not just because of the drop in temperature, but because of the thick fog that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking the sunlight entirely. Only the ghostly glow coming from the fog filled the hollow darkness that would have been there. In an instant, the air caused his skin to prickle and twitch, and an uneasy shiver squirmed up his spine. There was something...off, about this place. Something, spooky, alien, supernatural. It was as if he had stepped right into another world._   
  
_It was then that he saw them, the Wolves, glaring at him through the white, with their flashing red eyes, monstrous yellow fangs, claws protruding out of large padded paws that were two times bigger than what was natural. They snarled, growled, gnashed and snapped at him, slowly moving toward him. Fear hit him like a windstorm. He turned, hoping that the Glimmer would take him back. But instead it was gone, and he was greeted by a heavy wall of hazy white, and more low, hulking lupine silhouettes, gradually closing in on him. _   
  
_Through erratic breaths and mind-numbing fear, he searched desperately for an escape. He found it when he saw a large gap between two of the Wolves; large enough for him to get through without the Wolves biting his legs off. There was no thought, no logical, strategic estimations on the percentages and likeliness of success (such thoughts would have been beyond the scope of reason for an adult in such a situation, let alone a child); he just ran!_   
  
_The Wolves snarled, watching him run past them with a jerk of their heads, seemingly taken off guard by his action. One of the other Wolves let out a long, loud howl, signaling the rest to give chase, which they did._   
  
_He didn't look back once the entire time. He kept his eyes forward, searching fiercely for some sign of help, of life. He ducked behind a tree, stopping to lean against it. He choked out labored breaths, his chest heaving relentlessly and his wide set nostrils flaring as his heart thrashed around in his chest, stomach, and throat, making breathing even harder. Despite the frigidity of the air, marbles of sweat dotted his dark brown skin. His wide, dark eyes darted back and forth as he searched more for some sign of sanctuary, an escape from the Wolves._   
  
_A moment later, he heard their howls again, this time practically right on top of him! Why did he try to hide? There was no point. They could smell him! His sweat, and fear; they could smell it all! They've been using that to track him! He was such an idiot! By stopping, he had allowed them to catch up to him! Once again, he didn't think, he just ran! The rustling of their rapid movements and uneven thumps of their paws against the forest floor behind him echoed with terrifying dissonance in his ears._   
  
_He still had his eyes cast forward when he saw something up ahead. It was a light; a real light, not coming from the fog but through it! A burst of relief and overwhelming joy and excitement spread to every corner of his body, and his pace increased as if he was being pulled along by magnets._   
  
_Suddenly, the forest disappeared and he found himself in a large clearing carpeted by the same fog that cloaked the forest he was just running through. He was so taken off guard by the sudden openness around him that his foot caught on his heel, sending him flying face first onto the ground. An explosion of white pain burst through the lower half of his face and the taste of salty copper coated the inside of his mouth. He became aware of a dull throbbing pain on his tongue and concluded that he must have bitten it. Blood dripped lazily from the corner of his lips, but he didn't have any time to pay attention to it or the pain._   
  
_Through the loud ringing in his ears, he heard the familiar, terrifying howls of the Wolves close behind him. He scrambled to his feet, looking behind just in time to see the first of the pack come bursting through the white wall of fog, like monstrous Hellhounds hungrily seeking his soul. He had already started running before he was even completely gotten himself up off the ground, causing him to stumble a bit and almost fall on his face again, which thankfully didn't happen. He ran with even more ferocity than before, especially when he felt one of the Wolves practically racing right next to him, snapping at his heels._   
  
_He instinctively swung around and slammed his fist right into that Wolf's head, causing it to lose its footing and tumble violently with a loud agonized yipping sound. The rest of the pack continued to chase him; all except one Wolf, one that bore identical markings to the one he had punched, who stopped to assist its fallen pack member._   
  
_Casting his eyes ahead once more, he had a second to process the sight in front of him, but only for a moment. There was a house up ahead; a large house with a thick iron gate surrounding it. He saw a light in a few of the windows. Honestly, seeing them was like seeing Heaven's light after charging through the Inferno. Or the closest thing to it, anyway._   
  
_"HELP! HELP ME! THERE ARE WOLVES- HELP!" he shouted._   
  
_His voice was barely able to come out. As much of it that did come out was hoarse and clotted with the blood that filled his mouth. His lungs had turned into dry, shriveled up husks throughout the course of the chase. One second later his body slammed into the thick iron gate that caged the house within it. He started groping along the bars, until he found the place where the gate opened. It was closed tight._   
  
_"HELP! HELP, PLEASE!" he shouted through the bars, blood spraying from his mouth as he did. He could hear the Wolves getting closer behind him._   
  
_Tides of panic grew more chaotic as the sound got louder. It pushed him forward with a blind ferocity. There was no other option for him. Frantically, he shoved his torso in-between the bars of the gate, wiggling hard to a point where it hurt his shoulders and joints. He tried to suck in to make himself smaller, but his panicked breathing was far too fast for him to get control of his lungs. Thankfully, his tiny, child's body was just scrawny enough to squeeze through the bars with a little more effort, and after a few panic filled moments he found himself safe on the inside of the gate._   
  
_Finding themselves unable to get through, the Wolves growled, snarled and pranced in front of the gate, like a coven of witches performing some sort of ritualistic dance. Suddenly, one of the Wolves let out a deep, thick howl, and the rest paused their dance. They pulled back, and for a moment the pack just stood there and stared at him through the gate. He watched them in complete shock, not sure what was about to happen. Then, as quickly as they had come, the Wolves turned and retreated. Their silhouettes glided across the surface of the misty carpet of the clearing before disappearing into the foggy cloak of the forest._   
  
_He stared after them, too shocked to move. Were they gone? For good? He did not want to go out into those woods to find out. He leaned against the gate, his bones suddenly turning into overcooked strands of spaghetti. He slid down against the iron bars, his mind a numb spiral of ebbing white terror; terror that never fully left, even after several minutes. His limbs felt heavy and a sour, thick coat of bile and blood stuck to the walls, ceiling and floor of his mouth. The taste struck him and he quickly spit it out. The long forgotten throb of his bitten tongue was back in memory, and was almost in perfect sync with gradual steadying of his heartbeat._   
  
_Then, the terror he felt from the Wolves was replaced with that dreadful, suffocating feeling of being trapped. He dared not go out into the Woods; there was no doubt that they would be waiting for him. The only other option was to seek shelter in the house before him. He hoped that the owner would be compassionate and let him in, especially since the adrenaline was wearing off and he was started to become aware of the cold again. Like a limp marionette on loose strings, he hoisted himself up and tentatively made his way to the door of the house, which was more of a mansion. No, that was too much of an understatement. It was a castle, standing dark and somewhat ominously against the white backdrop of the fog, yet exuding the same supernatural essence that the fog did. He hugged himself tightly to keep warm as he walked up to the front of the castle._

* * *

_From the window of the highest tower overlooking the walkway to the entrance of the castle, a Figure watched him approach the front door. A Figure with red eyes, like the Wolves, and a twisted, beastly body, its clawed hand pressed against the window, watched in anticipation and stunned longing as he, the first living soul it had seen in decades, approached the doorway of its prison._

* * *

_He approached the front door; enormous wooden doors decorated with grotesque, monstrous patterns and two large knockers to match. Heart drumming uncertainly in his rib-cage, he hesitantly reached up and banged one of the knockers against the door twice. He jumped back as the door opened by itself with a loud, deep guttural whine, oddly reminiscent of some great creature yawning after years of sleep. His whole body shook with lingering fear and anxiety as he entered the castle at a snail's pace. Once again on its own, the door closed behind him  with the same loud sound it had made when it opened. _

* * *

_At the edge of the Woods, partially concealed by the fog, one lone Wolf with fur as black as an inky sky and deep, anthropomorphic sapphire eyes tilted its head in an almost studious way, watching him as he slowly disappeared behind the doors of the fortress, and never came back out._

* * *

_Ten years  old. _   
  
_That's how old he was when he entered that towering, otherworldly castle encircled by a fog-drenched, frigid forest._   
  
_And it would be over twenty long years before he would be allowed to leave._

* * *

_He was the first._   
  
_The first to wander into the Woods ._   
  
_The first that the Wolves chased through the fog._   
  
_The first to find Haven._   
  
_The first to get lost._   
  
_He was the first one._   
  
_But he was not the last one._   
  
_Not even close._

**Author's Note:**

> So, I actually had this prelude written over two years ago, save a few adjustments I made here and there. I chose not to post it yet because I was waiting for the Inspiration Mosquito to bite me and motivate me to at least get the next chapter finished. Over two years of Writer's Block. So frustrating. What can I say? My Muse only writes what she's interested in at certain times.
> 
> Anyway, I recently started getting back into Teen Wolf, and was inspired enough to get the next chapter started, 'started' being the key word. So far it's been slow going, so I don't know how long it will be before I post the next chapter. In the meantime, I got impatient and said "screw it! I'm going post the Prelude now." So here you go. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can. The next two chapters, if I'm lucky, but no guarantee of that.


End file.
